International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), India Online ISSN: 2319-7064

Appropriateness of Mother-Tongue Based Multi-

Lingual Education (MTB-MLE) in Urban Areas: A
Synthesis Study
Mondez, Remilyn (Getuiza)1
1
Malayan Colleges Laguna
Faculty Member, College of Arts and Science
Pulo Road, Cabuyao Laguna 4025

rgmondez@mcl.edu.ph
remilyn_mondez@yahoo.com

Abstract: This paper examines the appropriateness of the Mother-Tongue Based Multi-Lingual Education (MTB-MLE) policy when
applied in urban development contexts in the Philippines. Its “practicality” was assessed based on the demand for competent English
language proficiencies in the workplace and on the benefits of English language fluency and usage. This paper also delves on the 2015
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and its role in influencing the worldwide movement for the MTB-MLE advocacy. Sparse case
studies in the Philippines where MTB-MLE served its purpose and produced satisfactory results that further strengthened DepEd’s
proposition to implement this policy nationwide were also discussed. Furthermore, the role of language in development and the
principles in language acquisition were analyzed. These bring to light some gauging factors that reveal the flaws of MTB-MLE when
applied in urban contexts through an analysis of: learners’ exposure to the English and Filipino languages; lack of mother-tongue
based multi-lingual educational materials; and the varying language needs and challenges from each region. In addition to this,
discrepancies on the research findings that MTB-MLE advocates used to base this educational principle were examined. The research
results mostly cited as bases for MTB-MLE were incidences of primary enrollment drop-outs, low performances in other subject areas
such as Mathematics and Science; and teachers’ struggle to communicate in language students do not understand. All these bring
significant findings for Department of Education (DepEd) and Congress to reconsider vital revisions in the K+12 curriculum where
MTB-MLE is concerned.

Keywords: Mother-Tongue Based Multi-lingual Education (MTB-MLE), 2015 Millennium Development Goals, English language
proficiency, development communication.

1. Introduction 2. Significance of the Study

The Aquino administration implemented a very drastic
change in the educational system of the Philippines. The 10-
The benefits and effectiveness of MTB-MLE as shown in the
year basic education has been transformed to K+12
experimental case studies in the Philippines cannot be
education and the full, nationwide implementation of the
disregarded. However, there are factors that must be taken
latter started on June 2012. The former requires only 6 years
into consideration when the same policy is applied
in elementary and 4 years in high school. Meanwhile, in the
nationwide, specifically in urban areas where English
new system, kindergarten is compulsory before students can
language proficiency plays a major indicator in the nation’s
enroll in Grade 1. The number of years in elementary are the
capability to compete in the global workplace. This paper
same; however, there are two divisions in high school—4
aimed to explore how appropriate would MTB-MLE be
years in junior high school and 2 years in senior high school.
where the usual or daily language used is English and
Alongside with these drastic changes in the educational
Filipino. It would also lend credence to the possibility of
system is the implementation of the “mother-tongue based
reviewing the implementation of the K+12 curriculum where
multi-lingual education (MTB-MLE)” policy.
language as a subject matter and as a medium of instructions
are concerned.
The Department of Education (DepEd) on March 2012 in a
press release said that, MTB-MLE in the K+12 educational
system entails the teaching of a child’s mother tongue as a 3. Objectives
subject and as a medium of instruction from kindergarten This paper aimed to:
until the third grade. Since there are more than a hundred  Delve on the foundations where MTB-MLE has been
languages/dialects in the Philippines, DepEd adapted only 12 founded: namely, the 2015 Millennium Development
major regional languages to be regarded as the “mother- Goals (MDGs) and the experimental case studies in the
tongue” for learning in the first four years of a child’s basic Philippines
education. These languages are Tagalog, Kapampangan,  Investigate the appropriateness of MTB-MLE policy in
Pangasinense, Iloko, Bikol, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Waray, urban contexts
Tausug, Maguindanaoan, Maranao, and Chabacano.  Analyze some of the discrepancies on the assumptions
where MTB-MLE has been founded.
(Source: www.deped.gov.ph)

Volume 2 Issue 1, January 2013

611
www.ijsr.net
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), India Online ISSN: 2319-7064
4. Framework of the Study
Figure 1: Framework of the Study
The four figures in the framework show the relationships of
each variable in the study. The MDGs was placed inside the
circle with broken lines and overlaps with the circle for
MTB-MLE policy in the Philippines’ K+12 Education. The
broken lines on the first circle represent the influence of this
variable in the formulation and nationwide implementation
of the policy indicated on the second circle. The second
circle which bears the MTB-MLE policy also stands on the
positive premises drawn from local experiments and several
case studies where MTB-MLE has been implemented and
produced promising results. Hence, this is represented by a
full heavy line. From the second circle, a full arrow is drawn
toward a box with broken lines bearing the significance of
this study where the appropriateness of MTB-MLE in urban
contexts is investigated.
5. Scope and Delimitation
All information in this synthesis is based on several books on
language acquisition and second language teaching. The
online resources for MTB-MLE include: reliable government
web sites, published journals downloaded online, credible
educational blogs, educational forums, online news from
well-known newspaper companies, and position papers or
written reports from international organizations.
This study, however, is limited to assumptions based on
logic and theories alone. The “urban context” described on
the findings refer to the Tagalog region only since it is where
Filipino and English are the dominant languages. The “urban
context” referred to in this study does not cover other urban
areas (like Cebu, Davao, Olongapo, etc.,) where other
dominant languages exist.
The actual assessment of whether MTB-MLE is effective or
not when applied in urban contexts can only be proven or
measured after around 6-12 years from when this synthesis
study was undertaken. This is due to the fact that only after
such time can the first batch of students who have studied
under the MTB-MLE policy graduate from elementary (6
years) or high school (12 years). Only then can the actual
assessment on their English language proficiency and other
academic performances be fully measured and correlated to
the languages used in classroom instructions.
6. Discussion
2015 Millennium Development Goals
Volume 2 Issue 1, January 2013
www.ijsr.net
In September 2000, 189 world leaders assembled for the
Millennium Summit at the United Nations’ headquarters in
New York City. They established the Millennium
Declaration which identified their commitment to address the
following 7 key points:
1) Peace, Security, and Disarmament;
2) Development and Poverty Eradication;
3) Protection of Common Environment;
4) Human Rights, Democracy, and Good Governance;
5) Protection for the Vulnerable;
6) Meeting the Special Needs in Africa; and
7) Strengthening the United Nations.
This declaration was a fine extraction from the discussions in
UN Summits and Conferences from the 1990s. There were
three complimentary initiatives that proposed the over-all
strategies for achieving these goals, namely: TheMillennium
Project, The Millennium Reports, and The Global
Millennium Campaign.
In 2002, the UN Secretary-General presented to the UN
world leaders findings and recommendations of these three
initiatives. The resulting set of goals, numerical targets, and
quantifiable indicators for evaluation became known as the
2015 Eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These
goals are:
1) Ending Poverty and Hunger;
2) Universal Primary Education;
3) Gender Equality;
4) Child Health;
5) Maternal Health;
6) Combat HIV and AIDS;
7) Environmental Sustainability; and
8) Global Partnership.
Goal Number 2 reads: Achieve Universal Primary Education
stating to: “ensure that by 2015, children everywhere, boys
and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of
primary schooling with the following indicators:
1. Net enrolment ratio in primary education;
2. Proportion of pupils starting Grade 1 who reached Grade
5; and
3. Literacy rate of 15-24-year-olds.”
(Source: www.un.org/milenniumgoals)
7. MTB-MLE: An International Advocacy
Concurrent with the United Nations’ declaration of the
MDGs, findings from published research studies of
independent organizations such as SEAMEO, UNESCO, the
World Bank, etc. indicated the role that language plays for
children to succeed in early education. These researches
revealed that the majority languages or national languages
are used as the medium of instruction in early education;
thus, many children fail their subjects/courses, stop
schooling, and altogether lose academic interest.
A compilation of studies published by SEAMEO in 2009,
612
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), India Online ISSN: 2319-7064
entitled: “Mother Tongue as Bridge Language of Instruction:
Policies and Experiences in Southeast Asia” reported on the
current situation of language policies in Brunei, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand,
and Vietnam. It also contains reports on how MTB-MLE is
being implemented in sparse, experimental case-to-case
basis.
Findings and recommendations from reports and studies such
as these and together with the support of 2015 MDGs, the
notion to expand the use of mother tongue as the language of
instruction in early education was established. This
movement specifically focused on third world countries, the
Philippines included where many languages of minorities
exist.
Language Policies in Classroom Teaching
There has always been a dilemma on policy-making
regarding the medium of instruction to be used in the
Philippine classroom setting. This is because there are many
languages in the Philippines and there are different estimates
to their number. In 2005, Ethnologue, an online database,
recorded that there are 171 living languages in the
Philippines while McFarland in 1993, reported 120
languages. However, both reported the same eight major
languages as having the most number of speakers and are
geographically spread all throughout the archipelago. These
languages are Bikol, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Ilokano or Iloko,
Kapampangan, Pangasinense, Tagalog, and Waray. Due to
their popularity, they are identified as the Meso Philippine
languages.
What are the implications of having so many languages in
one small country? President Manuel L. Quezon saw the
need that for the Philippines to unite and be established as
one country, a major language should be chosen and be
declared as the official language of the nation. This language
will be used to unify Filipinos to ensure effective
communication in politics, education, business, etc. He
issued Executive Order 134 s 1937 that proclaimed the
search for such language that can be developed, adopted, and
used in the whole country.
The National Language Institute which was commissioned
by the National Assembly, the law-making body at that time,
recommended that Tagalog be used as the National
Language. Tagalog was renamed to Pilipino and later
changed to Filipino to adapt the different vocabularies from
other dialects and other foreign languages such as Arabic,
Spanish, and English. (The influence of the Arabic language
may not seem to be that widespread, but a lot of Moslem
Filipinos use vocabularies from this language as they
interpret the Quran.) The “Filipino” language also expanded
its alphabetical characters to adapt these foreign
vocabularies. These characters are: c, f, j, q, v, and z.
The Philippines has implemented the Bilingual Education
Policy (BEP) since 1974 when then Department of
Education, Culture, and Sports (DECS) issued Dept. Order
No. 25 titled: “Implementing Guidelines for the Policy on
Volume 2 Issue 1, January 2013
www.ijsr.net
Bilingual Education.” This policy signified the use of both
Filipino and English in education.
The 1987 Constitution retained and further strengthened this
policy through Department Order No. 53, s. 1987, entitled:
“The 1987 Policy of Bilingual Education.” This policy aims
for Filipino citizens to achieve competence both in English
and in Filipino. It states that, “The aspiration of the Filipino
nation is to have its citizens possess skills in Filipino to
enable them to perform their duties and responsibilities as
Filipino citizens and in English in order to meet the needs of
the country in the community of nations.”
Furthermore, the Bilingual Education Policy aims to: 1)
enhance learning through two languages; 2) propagate
Filipino as the language of literacy; 3) develop Filipino as a
linguistic symbol of national unity and identity; 4) cultivate
and elaborate Filipino as a language of scholarly discourse;
and 5) maintain English as an international language for the
Philippines and as a non-exclusive language of science and
technology.
As a result, there were two languages used inside the
classroom—Filipino and English. The Filipino language is
used in subject areas such as Social Studies, Social Sciences,
MAPE (Music, Arts, and Physical Education were
combined) and the English language was used in Science,
Mathematics, Technology, and English itself where it is
taught as a subject.
The general impression and/or observation of foreigners that
Filipinos are good in English compared to other nationalities
from Southeast Asian counterparts can be attributed to this
policy. Since Filipino and English are the languages used in
the Tagalog region, students from this area do not need to
learn in a foreign language once they begin their formal
education. On the other hand, there have been issues on these
languages used in the classrooms from regions where tribal
and regional languages exist. One of these issues is when
students do not comprehend the textbooks and other
educational materials printed in English and Filipino.
Thus, the newly-introduced K+12 curriculum attempts to
solve these issues by integrating mother-tongue based multi-
lingual education in the system.
8. Foundations of MTB-MLE in the
Philippines
The Philippines is not a neophyte in the Mother Tongue-
Based Multi-Lingual Education (MTB-MLE) advocacy.
Long before the advent of the United Nation’s 2015
Millennium Development Goals and the widespread
popularity gained by MTB-MLE advocacy during the past
decade, there have been experiments that compared the
performance of students who were taught using the mother
tongue and those who have been taught in English.
As early as 1948-1954 in Iloilo, an experiment was
conducted to compare the performance of students taught in
Hiligaynon from those taught in English. Results showed
613
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), India Online ISSN: 2319-7064
that those who were taught in Hiligaynon outperformed those
who were taught in English at the end of the first year on
subject areas such as Reading, Social Studies, and
Mathematics.
The First Language Component Bridging Program (FLC-BP)
1986-1993 experimented on the use of Tuwali as a medium
of instruction in the Ifugao Province. This six-year pilot
project hypothesized that, “Children who acquire reading and
writing skills in first language, accompanied by structured
program of language arts that provides ‘bridge’ to Filipino
and English—will be more competent in all areas of study
than those who learn in the two official languages.” Results
proved this hypothesis as true and correct.
From 1991-2001, DepEd launched the “Lingua-Franca
Project” which aimed to define and implement a national
bridging program to develop initial literacy. The
experimental groups consisted of the three lingua franca
were Tagalog, Cebuano, and Ilokano. The control groups on
designated areas used English and Filipino as provided in the
Bilingual Policy.
Results from this experiment showed that the experimental
groups got higher mean scores in Mathematics, Science,
Sibika at Kultura, and Filipino except in English. Another
change observed in this experiment was the attitude of
parents and the community. There was an increased support
from parents in the preparation of educational materials and
increased concern in the monitoring of their children’s
progress.
Other lingua franca projects had been launched since the
‘70s and the ‘80s. These were primarily sponsored by the
Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL)—Philippines,
Translators Association of the Philippines (TAP), and other
NGOs. These projects developed instructional and
supplementary educational materials catering to the different
languages in far-flung regions of the Philippines.
One of these projects (sponsored by SIL) is the on-going
Lubuagan MLE Program which begun in 1998 and continues
to present. The goal is to ensure higher achievement in
students’ performances, stronger English and Filipino
acquisition, and lower drop-out rate. This project started
when the survey results, back then, showed that this school is
the lowest performing school in major subject areas such as
English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Since the
program implicates the use of mother tongue as a medium of
instruction in the learners’ early education, this entailed
considerable funding for a total revision of the curriculum,
material development, and teacher training. The program
was very encouraging and promising after results showed
dramatic improvements on students’ scores on the same
subject areas.
All these small-scale cases of MTB-MLE implementation
proved to be successful in terms of improving students’
performances in major subject areas such as Mathematics,
Social Sciences, Science, etc. After all, MTB-MLE is
concerned with the cognitive development of learners and
Volume 2 Issue 1, January 2013
www.ijsr.net
not on the improvement of their English language
proficiency. Simply put, MTB-MLE advocates effective and
long-term knowledge assimilation through a language that
students understand and not to acquire fluency in using the
English language.
9. The Role of Language in Development
Influential language experts such as Suzanne Romaine and
Daniel Nettle (2000) on their book, “Vanishing Voices”
pointed out the direct correlation of language to the
preservation of ethnic identity, cultures, and knowledge.
When a language dies, these things also disappear. Law
(2007) gave a very vivid example on how knowledge can
also disappear along with a language.
“In the Micmac language, for example, trees are named after
the sounds they make in the wind. The names change as the
sounds change, so, if an elderly Micmac speaker remembers
that a certain kind of tree used to have one name, but is now
called something else, this can reveal the effects of acid rain
on that species. Lose Micmac and you lose that insight.”
Law (2007) furthered that there are at least two languages
that die every month and of the 6,500 languages of the
world, half of them are expected to vanish within the next
century. She attributes this to two main reasons why
languages die. First, is when the younger generation does not
learn it; secondly, is when speakers become bilingual and
mixes the two, the minor or weaker one eventually loses to
the more dominant language.
If one would stand by the proposition to preserve the world
languages, then the MTB-MLE advocacy can serve as a
means to prevent the deaths of such. However, this sobering
reality is affected by “globalization”.
Technology made globalization flourished at a faster rate
over the last few decades. Globalization demands effective
communication in a language, a universal language that most
nationalities are expected to understand. Chinese Mandarin
topped the world’s most spoken language followed by
English. However, the number of people who speak Chinese
is rather concentrated in one area/country or nationality or
both whereas English, on the other hand, is spoken either as
a native language or a second language of different
nationalities all over the world. In addition, English is the
language of the Internet, the most popular medium of global
communication on the 21st century. These facts then make
English as the “regarded” global language.
Hence, even if there are concerns to save the world’s
languages and MTB-MLE can be one means to achieve this
goal, there is a more nagging demand to learn to use the
English language fluently. In the light of the persistent
globalization that first finds its way in urban development
context, why is it important then to be fluent in English?
10. English Language Proficiency in the
Workplace
In the Philippines, an impressive English proficiency seems
614
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), India Online ISSN: 2319-7064

to be the key to landing a good job, both local and abroad. Table 2: 2011 Mean Scores of Test Takers in the IELTS
For instance, the booming Business Process Outsourcing Band
(BPOs) e.g. call center industry provides lucrative jobs for Country
Listenin Readin Writin Speakin OVERAL
thousands (including high school graduates) without having g g g g L
to leave the country. Aside from this, opportunities for Malaysia 7.2 7 6.2 6.6 6.9
Philippine
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) have been extended 7 6.6 6.2 6.8 6.7
s
from the humble domestic helpers and skilled workers a few Hongkong 6.7 6.4 5.9 6.2 6.4
decades back to those in the professional fields such as Indonesia 6.6 6.3 5.9 6.3 6.4
nursing, engineering, teaching, information technology (IT) Sri Lanka 6.6 6 5.9 6.5 6.3
experts, etc. India 6.4 5.6 5.8 6.2 6.1
Nepal 6.3 5.8 5.7 6 6
For a long time, there has been a general impression that Taiwan 5.9 6 5.5 5.9 5.9
Filipinos are good speakers of English and are the best ones 5.9Bot
Vietnam 5.9 6.1 5.6 5.7 tom of
in Southeast Asia. However, reports from English
Form
proficiency tests and results of academic performance proved Banglades
otherwise. Take for example the 2011 International English 5.9 5.6 5.6 5.9 5.8
h
Language Testing System (IELTS)Report on the scores of
test takers from the top 40 countries. (Source:http://www.ielts.org/researchers/analysis_of_test_data/test_taker_pe
rformance_2011.aspx)

The top ten performing countries out of the top 40 countries

that took IELTS in 2011 shows that Malaysia and Romania The IELTS Band of 7.0 is described as “Competitive”
topped the notch with an overall mean score of 6.9. France proficiency while 6.0 and points in-between are described as
and Germany placed 2nd with a tie on 6.8 mean score. The “Modest” proficiency. Testing one’s English proficiency is
Philippines, placed on the 3rd spot, is tied with two other gauged in four macro-skills in language acquisition such as:
countries—Brazil and Kenya—with a mean score of 6.7 in Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. The “overall”
the IELTS band. mean score is the average of all these four macro-skills.
Professionals, specifically nurses, are required to get an
Table 1: 2011 Mean Scores of Test Takers in IELTS Band overall band score of 7.0 in order to qualify for a job position
abroad.
OVER-
Country Listening Reading Writing Speaking This has not been the first time that the Philippines placed
ALL
Malaysia 7.2 7 6.2 6.6 6.9 below the first spot. The IELTS Reports since 2008 showed
Romania 7.2 7 6.2 6.8 6.9 a constant decline in English language proficiency of
France 6.9 6.9 6.3 6.8 6.8 Filipinos. In an article written by Rainier Allan Ronda for
The Philippine Star in November 2009, Andrew King,
Germany 7 6.6 6.4 7.2 6.8
country director of IDP Education Pty. Philippines stressed
Brazil 6.8 6.9 6.2 6.9 6.7
that this decline in English language proficiency should be
Kenya 6.7 6.1 6.6 7.2 6.7 taken seriously since countries where Filipinos wish to
Philippines 7 6.6 6.2 6.8 6.7 migrate consider it important. Hence, they seek for people
Mexico 6.7 6.8 5.9 6.5 6.6 with high English quality skills.
Spain 6.7 6.9 6 6.5 6.6
Russia 6.6 6.6 5.9 6.6 6.5 A study commissioned by the Department of Education,
Employment, and Work Relation was conducted by
(Source: Arkoudis, S., Baik C., Hawthorne, G., Hawthorne, L.,
http://www.ielts.org/researchers/analysis_of_test_data/test_taker_performan O’Loughlin, K., Leach, D. Bexley, E. (2009) from the
ce_2011.aspx)
University of Melbourne. They researched on the impact of
English language proficiency in the employment of
From the same report, the Philippines placed 2nd only after
international students versus their Australian counterparts.
Malaysia among other Asian countries (Table 2).
They found that although English language proficiency is not
the only factor, it played a very vital role in job promotion.

Nigro (2011) from the Test of English for International

Communication (TOEIC) USA team wrote for
www.amideast.org on how English language proficiency
affects employment in USA. Cultural diversity at work
brings fresh ideas and new perspectives; however, there are
many immigrants who are underemployed due to lack of
English language communication skills. Even if these
immigrants are degree holders, and are smart, they cannot
function in the job they deserve because they cannot
communicate. In fact, those with lesser English language

Volume 2 Issue 1, January 2013

615
www.ijsr.net
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), India Online ISSN: 2319-7064
fluency are given less hours of work because employees’
communication skills have a huge impact on the success of
businesses.
Countries abroad are not the only ones who demand for a
competent English proficiency skills. In the Philippines,
aside from the call center industries, other companies
especially corporations are following suit in requiring
employees to improve their English proficiencies.
Universities and colleges are also revisiting and redesigning
their curricula to address this challenge.
For instance: a fledgling sister school of MAPUA, Malayan
Colleges Laguna is taking this challenge seriously to all its
employees and students. English language teachers are
required to take IELTS and obtain a band score of at least 7.0
or better, before they qualify to apply for job tenure. On the
other hand, content professors had to undergo a localize
version of an English proficiency test called MCL
ELT(Malayan Colleges Laguna English Language Test)
developed by the English cluster and had to pass a certain
band score before qualifying for a job tenure. In helping
them prepare for MCL ELT, they are required to fulfill a
considerable amount of time studying English through
Rosetta Stone, a software that gives exercises on all four
macro skills.
The students, likewise, are pushed to enhance their English
proficiencies. As freshmen, they have to take the MCL ELT
and their scores are part of their student portfolio labeled as
the “Entry-level” English proficiency score. Then, they are
required to enroll 9 units of “English for Academic Studies”
courses and 3 units of laboratory courses in “English in the
Workplace.” Before they graduate, they have to take MCL
ELT again to receive their “Exit-level” score. They are
expected to improve in the exit-level score compared to that
of their entry-level score.
Corporations, nowadays, require not only highly-skilled
workers but also workers who are proficient in English. A
look at job advertisements for good-paying professions
includes acceptable proficiencies in English as part of the
requirements. This indicates a strategy of companies in
strengthening their human resources with employees capable
of using the English language profitably. Meanwhile,
companies would also invest on language/communication
training for their employees who are just high school
graduates.
Companies seek out the help of experts from colleges and
universities for training. There are also independent bodies
on the rise that offer training programs to improve the
English proficiencies of those in the industries. British
Council, for example, has added suitable programs to meet
such needs from the industry. Other companies/organizations
that extend English language proficiency enhancements
programs are TOEIC, Future Perfect, IDP, etc.
It is therefore very important for people living in highly
industrialized areas to be exposed and be highly proficient in
using the English language because it will affect their future
Volume 2 Issue 1, January 2013
www.ijsr.net
professional performance or job tenure in the workplace.
Hence, the delay of English language teaching in elementary
education asserts the uncertainties on the future of the
generation/s that will be affected by the MTB-MLE policy
that advocates the use of mother tongue in classroom
instructions.
In the light of what these data revealed, the question now is:
Is MTB-MLE a solution to improve the English proficiency
of Filipinos? How appropriate is this policy when it hinders
benefits (e.g. improved academic performances, faster
English language acquisition, etc.) that it claims?
11. Findings
This investigation discovered some inconsistencies in the
MTB-MLE policy (more so in the K+12 educational
system). It has been fully implemented nationwide; however,
these findings are based on the context of the Tagalog region
only where Filipino and English are the dominant languages.
The appropriateness of MTB-MLE policy was based on an
analysis of: learners’ exposure to the English and Filipino
languages; lack of mother-tongue based multi-lingual
educational materials; and the varying language needs and
challenges from each region. Discrepancies on the research
findings that MTB-MLE advocates used to base this
educational principle were also examined. These are
incidences of primary enrollment drop-outs, low
performances in other subject areas such as Mathematics and
Science; and teachers’ struggle to communicate in a
language students do not comprehend.
Learners’ Early Exposure to the English Language
Children from birth are already exposed to the English and
Filipino languages long before they go to school. Radio
programs, TV advertisements and shows are in both Filipino
and English languages. The surrounding environment is
filled with visual representations usually expressed in
English. For families who can afford, the available
educational toys and books they buy for their babies,
toddlers, and preschool children are mostly in English.
Hence, schools and parents from the Tagalog region cannot
isolate their students or learners into the mother-tongue,
which is Tagalog, alone because Filipino and English
languages are used on a daily basis.
Lack of Mother Tongue-Based Educational Materials
Educational materials printed in Tagalog (not Filipino) are
very old and rare. Most are printed in Filipino but using these
as instructional materials would be counterproductive to the
policy itself that mandates the use of the mother tongue. (In
fact, there are many Filipinos, teachers included, who do not
know the difference between Filipino and Tagalog.) Most
educational materials are printed or produced in Filipino and
English rather than in Tagalog.
Language acquisition theories evolve through the years.
These can be summed up into four: behaviorist, cognitivist,
humanistic, and constructivist. These theories do not
616
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), India Online ISSN: 2319-7064
necessarily disagree with each other but builds on each
other’s strengths and patch up each other’s weaknesses or
fallacies. From all these theories, it can be gathered that a
constant exposure to a language is vital for acquisition to
take place. Exposure, as used here, refers to not just the
environment where speakers use the language but the
learning materials which are also used either in formal
education or supplemental learning. In the case of MTB-
MLE policy implementation, the learners will not learn their
mother tongue in the formal way if educational materials
printed in these languages (Tagalog, in this case) do not exist
substantially.
Filipino and Tagalog do not differ much. In fact, the Filipino
language could never have existed without Tagalog.
However, pure Tagalog words are more limited than
Filipino. For example, in areas of Science, Mathematics, and
Technology, Filipino and English languages come in handy
because there are many terminologies without Tagalog word
equivalent. Sometimes, English words are transliterated or
are turned into Filipino by changing the spelling (e.g.
connection becomes koneksyon). The Tagalog alphabet lacks
letters C, F, J, V, and X in the alphabet thus limiting the
additional vocabulary words it can adapt.
Furthermore, the MTB-MLE implies an over-all change of
all the educational materials written from Filipino and
English to Tagalog ones. And since Tagalog vocabulary is
limited, there are only two possibilities that can happen. It is
either the Tagalog region cannot fully and strictly follow the
MTB-MLE policy because Filipino and English will still be
used or the learning of students from Kindergarten to Grade
3 will be limited to that which the Tagalog language can
accommodate.
Different Needs and Challenges
The proposition of mother tongue-based multi-lingual
education is based on studies and research done abroad and
on isolated cases in the Philippines. What may work on one
region or one place may not be applicable to all other places
with different environments, demands, and needs that must
be met. For example, young learners from tribes on far-flung
areas need to learn four languages: their tribal language, their
regional language, and then Filipino, and English. Wherein
the young learners in urban areas (Tagalog region) are
already exposed to Filipino and English since birth;
therefore, they do not find these languages as strange.
The learners in rural areas may not even find learning
Filipino and English as useful if they plan to stay in their
place of birth forever so the MTB-MLE policy will work
well for their situation. On the other hand, learners in urban
areas must learn both languages fluently in order to survive
and be globally competitive.
Language fluency is important for both settings but differ in
some ways. For those in rural areas, language may serve
merely as means to communicate and function on a daily
basis. On the other hand, in urban areas, language serves not
only as means to communicate and function on a daily basis.
Volume 2 Issue 1, January 2013
www.ijsr.net
Language fluency is also a reflection of educational
background, intellect, and professional capability which are
deemed important in the global workplace. Thus, in urban
areas, Filipino and English must be taught once learners start
their formal education to ensure fluency in both languages in
which they are exposed to since birth. Teaching them in just
Tagalog for the first few years of their early education is
impractical.
Disregarded Reasons for Drop-out Cases
Background research and studies, where MTB-MLE policy
has been founded, have linked the language of instruction to
dropout cases in the primary level. However, there are other
factors that were disregarded such as poverty with all its
super-inordinate effects such as hunger and difficult
transportation (a.k.a. far distance of school from the learners’
place in remote areas and would require learners to walk for
many hours). The United Nations International Children’s
Emergency Fund (UNICEF) (www.unicef.org/philippines)
reported that in the Philippines, for every 10 five-year-old
children, only six have access to education. Enrollment in
primary education is relatively high all over the country but
drastic decline happens in high school when students would
rather work than study to augment the family income.
Most of the research used by MTB-MLE advocates focused
solely on the language factor to favor the MTB-MLE
advocacy but disintegrated away from other factors that are
equally causing the phenomenon of primary enrollment
dropouts.
Insufficient Reference to the Language Factor
MTB-MLE advocates also linked the language of instruction
to the results of students’ academic performances in
Mathematics and Science. It is true that language skills play
a part in the rest of the students’ academic performances.
However, it is unfair to zero-in on the language factor alone
when there are other factors that affect the learning process
of these two subject areas. For instance, Science courses
need laboratories and equipment that most schools both in
urban and rural contexts lack.
Another obvious factor in the Philippine setting that is
equally influential in students’ academic performance is the
competence of teachers. In elementary and high school, there
are schools that allow teachers to teach a subject matter that
is not their area of expertise. For example, a Science teacher
handles all types of subject areas in Science such as Biology
or Physics when his/her area of expertise is Chemistry. This
practice can thus lead to underrated student performance
results as reported by Trends in International Mathematics
and Science Study (TIMSS).
The reports from this institution indicating the low scores of
Filipino students in Mathematics and Science is one among
many others that Rep. Magtanggol Gunigundo used as bases
for pushing House Bill 162, entitled: “The Multi-lingual
Education and Literacy Act”. This bill proposes eight years
of MTB-MLE instead of the four years that DepEd has
embedded in the K+12 curriculum. It aims to strengthen
617
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), India Online ISSN: 2319-7064
students’ acquisition of their mother-tongue before they learn
any other language. This means that the learning of students
in their mother-tongue will be constrained for a longer period
of time and they will be refrained to learn many other things
that they could learn if they know other languages.
This House Bill, if approved, will pave the way towards an
educational path that other countries like Malaysia are trying
to veer away from. Pandian and Ramiah (2004) from the
Universiti of Sains Malaysia have cited the struggles of
Malaysian teachers as a new policy on teaching Mathematics
and Science in English has been imposed starting January
2003. They have imposed the policy of teaching these
subjects in English in order to keep abreast with the latest
developments in these fields which were mostly recorded in
the English language.
Philippines have indeed gone way ahead of other Asian
countries in implementing the Bilingual Policy in order to
gain English language fluency which other countries are now
starting to adapt. However, with the MTB-MLE policy, the
Philippines seemed to have gone a step backward.
Still, is it reasonable then to point to the language used as
medium of instruction as the main culprit for poor student
performances in Mathematics and Science?
Teachers’ Communication Skills
MTB-MLE advocates are quick to assume that due to
Bilingual Policy, teachers really deliver their lessons in the
languages specified in the Constitution—Filipino and
English. This assumption leads to a conclusion that puts
teachers in a very bad light: don’t they know how to connect
and communicate with their students?
This conclusion is faulty, though, because English teachers
in online forums have noticed other teachers’ practice as the
opposite. They observed that content teachers usually do not
speak in English when teaching Mathematics and Science
that’s why when students take the test (which is in English)
they have a hard time comprehending especially the word
problems because the lessons were discussed/taught in
another language. Ironically, this issue strengthens the
proposition that students should learn English at an earlier
age to gain mastery and fluency. This will give them
advantage in knowledge transfer in other subject areas and
post-basic education.
In the seminar, themed as “Content Language Integrated
Learning, (CLIL)” presented at the British Council’s
Teacher’s Club on July 2008, an attendee who happened to
volunteer in a school outreach program to Aeta tribe shared,
based on observation and experience, that local teachers
would usually translate the textbook in the vernacular, would
code switch, etc. to get the message across to the learners.
Based on these observations, it can be logically assumed that
teachers try their best to communicate to students in a
language that both parties can understand even to the extent
of translation method or approach in teaching. Even though
Volume 2 Issue 1, January 2013
www.ijsr.net
at times, there are instances where there could be
misinterpretations that get lost in translation. This can lead to
not a fluency in a single language (Filipino or English) but a
habit of code-switching in two languages.
12. Summary
This paper acknowledges one of the goals of the United
Nations 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
which pushes for universal primary education as one of the
core foundations of the MTB-MLE advocacy. It does not
disregard the importance of MTB-MLE and the right of
children to learn in their own language. In fact, long before
United Nations’ MDGs, and even before DepEd embedded
MTB-MLE in the new K+12 curriculum, there have been
experiments in different places in the Philippines that proved
how effective MTB-MLE is in the learning process.
However, this study discovered some inconsistencies in
MTB-MLE that questions its appropriateness when applied
in urban development contexts particularly the Tagalog
region:
First, learners in the urban context, particularly the Tagalog
region in the Philippines are exposed to the English and
Filipino languages at a very early age; therefore, there is no
need to withhold them from learning these two languages for
later education where the grammar and syntax are taught to
enhance fluency in these languages.
Second, materials printed in the mother-tongues are
insufficient for children to enjoy a variety of learning
materials.
Third, there are different needs and challenges in
geographical areas; thus, the needs of learners in rural areas
are different from those in urban areas. For instance, those in
urban areas must obtain a near-native language speaker
fluency in the English language in order to qualify for better
opportunities in the workplace. Thus, learning in the English
language at an early age may help meet this demand.
Fourth, MTB-MLE advocates seem to pinpoint at language
factors as the main reason why students dropped out of
school; however, they failed to address other factors which
are more confounding such as lack of classrooms and
teachers.
Finally, insufficient reference to language factor as the
reason behind poor academic performance in other subject
areas such as Mathematics and Science may be baseless.
This claim put aside the other factors that are equally
affecting academic performance such as teacher competence,
lack of materials, and insufficient facilities among many
others.
Furthermore, this study establishes the importance of
language in development. It emphasized the fierce demand
of English language fluency in order to survive in the urban
context as well as the global workplace.
618
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), India Online ISSN: 2319-7064
13. Conclusions
It is important to contextualize an educational idea or
principle before it is applied or implemented in a large scale.
The government, DepEd particularly in this case, is
exhausting all means to improve the country’s scores in the
2015 MDGs’ indicators including the goal of increased
enrollment in primary education. However, even Nolasco
(2012) in his opinion column in the Philippine Daily
Inquirer, entitled: “Make Haste, Lay Waste” commented that
“DepEd is risking far too much in this haphazard approach to
implementing MTB-MLE.” There has been a lack in
pretesting measures and preparation for the full scale
implementation of MTB-MLE and this can be attributed to
the fact that there is very short amount of time left before
United Nation’s full evaluation of the country’s performance
in attaining the MDGs by 2015.
English and Filipino are the languages of the National
Capital Region (NCR) and the Tagalog Region such as
Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon (CALABARZON),
and Bulacan. Therefore, implementing MTB-MLE policy to
delay the acquisition of these two languages for learners in
these regions may no longer be necessary. Children are
already exposed to both Filipino and English at a very young
age: logically, these should be the languages in which they
should be taught in order to gain mastery and fluency. This
has been the practice in the Bilingual policy, and the reason
why a lot of students are not fluent in either of the two
depends on other factors and not on the fact that students
have not learned their mother tongue Tagalog well.
14. Recommendations
Language policy-makers should not hastily implement a
policy without valid and reliable pretesting measures. From
the flaws of MTB-MLE discussed in this paper, the
following are recommended for DepEd officials and
policymakers (Congress) of the Philippines:
Instead of House Bill 162, entitled: “Multilingual Education
and Literacy Act” proposed by Rep. MagtanggolGunigundo,
a bill that authorizes regional DepEd directors to implement
whatever language of instruction they deem best in their
jurisdiction should be proposed and passed in Congress. This
will give freedom to all regions and areas to choose what
they think are best for their citizens.
Better yet, private schools should be given the academic
freedom in choosing what language they deem best to use in
their curriculum. This will give parents an option where to
enroll their children. For example, if parents want their
children to learn English, they can choose a school that uses
English as the language of instruction in the major subject
areas. For some parents who may think that English would
be too hard for their children to understand, they can choose
another school that uses a language that suits their needs.
Anyone is capable of acquiring any language. Therefore,
authorities should not focus on the language factor as the
main culprit for low academic performance of students. They
should concentrate more on solving other critical educational
Volume 2 Issue 1, January 2013
www.ijsr.net
problems such as lack of classroom facilities, lack of teacher
training and competencies, lack of materials, etc.
The language policies in classroom instructions should be
ratified in the Philippine Constitution. Otherwise, changes
can happen again after the current country’s president
finishes his term of office as well as the secretary of DepEd.
If the suggestions above seem too radical, then by all means,
those in the Tagalog Region should just stick to the Bilingual
Policy as ratified in the Philippine Constitution because it
has been effective over the past years. If there has been a
decline in students’ academic performance at present, there
must be other contributing factors that must have caused this
phenomenon. The budget allotted for translating and/or
producing educational materials from Filipino and English
resources to a particular mother tongue (in this case, the
Tagalog language), can be spent instead on additional
classroom facilities, teacher-training, student empowerment,
etc. that will surely help improve the educational system and
students’ academic performances.
For future researchers, there are many things to find out in
the implementation of the MTB-MLE policy. Here are a few
suggestions:
1. Attitudes of teachers, parents, and students towards this
policy;
2. Production and sufficiency of educational and
supplemental materials; and
3. Effectiveness of MTB-MLE in helping students acquire
other languages; etc.
Truly, the MTB-MLE policy calls for a very drastic change.
It is recommended in this paper to assess the expense this
policy incurs and see if it would be better to allot the budget
at other things such as infrastructure, teacher-training,
development of educational materials, etc.
The analyses in this paper are not only applicable in the
urban areas mentioned in the Philippine context. Other urban
areas both in the Philippines and other countries facing the
same challenges brought about by MTB-MLE can also
derive principles pertaining to language education and
development goals in this paper.
References
[1] Abdullah, M.L. (n.d.) The Imperatives for Enhancing
Global Competitiveness. Retrieved on June 20, 2012
from http://www.apo-
tokyo.org/productivity/078_prod.htm
[2] Almario, A., Villanueva J., (2008) Dual Language
Program Models in Philippine Progressive Schools.The
Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization.
Retrieved on July 16, 2012 at
http://www.seameo.org/_ld2008/doucments/Presentatio
n_document/Almario_Villenueva_DualLanguage.pdf
[3] Arkoudis, S., Baik C., Hawthorne, G., Hawthorne, L.,
O’Loughlin, K., Leach, D. Bexley, E. (2009). The
Impact of English Language Proficiency and
Workplace Readiness on the Employment Outcomes of
619
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), India Online ISSN: 2319-7064
Tertiary International Students.The University of
Melbourne. Retrieved on August 3, 2012 at
https://aei.gov.au/research/Publications/Documents/EL
P_Full_Report.pdf
[4] Bailey, Kathleen M. &Nunan, David. (2008). Exploring
Second Language Classroom Research. Singapore:
Heinle&Heinle A Division of Cengage Learning
[5] Celce-Murcia, M. (2006). Teaching English as a
Second or Foreign Language 3rd Edition. Singapore:
Heinle&Heinle A Division of Cengage Learning
[6] Collier, V.P. and Thomas, W.P. (2004). The
Astounding Effectiveness of Dual Language Education
for All. Advance online publication. NABE Journal of
Research and Practice, 2:1 Winter 2004 Retrieved on
Dec. 15, 2011
http://njrp.tamu.edu/2004/PDFs/Collier.pdf
[7] Fettes, M. (1999). Critical Realism and Ecological
Psychology: Foundations for a Naturalist Theory of
Language Acquisition. Retrieved on September 24,
2012 at http://dok.esperantic.org/~mfettes/critical.htm
[8] Gunigundo, Magtanggol, (2004) Language-in-
Education Policy Making in the Philippines. Retrieved
February 24, 2012
http://mlephil.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/language-in-
education-policy-making-in-the-philippine/
[9] Kosonen, K., Young, C., (2009) Mother Tongue as
Bridge Language of Instruction: Policies and
Experiences in Southeast Asia.The Southeast Asian
Ministers of Education Organization. Bangkok,
Thailand. Retrieved on June 29, 2012 at
http://www.seameo.org/images/stories/Publications/Pro
ject_Reports/MT_compendium_Final_Book-08-05-
09.pdf
[10] Law, Phillippa. (2007) Language Ecology. British
Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved on August 26,
2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/yourvoice/language_ecolo
gy.shtml#A
[11] Malicsi, J. (2005). The ELP Written Communication
Strategies 3rd Ed. The Classic Foundation for English
Linguistics Projects. Quezon City, Philippines.
[12] Nettle, D. & Romaine, S. (2000) Vanishing Voices:
The Extinction of the World’s Languages. London, UK;
Oxford University Press
[13] Nigro, N. (2011). 'Cold Cash' Reasons to Test
Workplace English Proficiency. Retrieved on
September 12, 2012
http://www.amideast.org/blogs/toeic4success/2011/12/c
old-cash-reasons-test-workplace-english-proficiency
[14] Nigro, N. (2011) Hiring Non-Native English Speakers
Can Help U.S. Businesses. Retrieved on September 12,
2012
athttp://www.amideast.org/blogs/toeic4success/2011/11
/hiring-non-native-english-speakers-can-help-us-
businesses
[15] Nolasco, R. (2008). The Prospects of Multilingual
Education and Literacy in the Philippines. The
Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization.
Retrieved on August 18, 2012
http://www.seameo.org/_ld2008/doucments/Presentatio
n_document/NolascoTHE_PROSPECTS_OF_MULTI
LINGUAL_EDUCATION.pdf
[16] Nolasco, R. (2012) “Make Haste, Lay Waste”,
Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved on August 26,
Volume 2 Issue 1, January 2013
www.ijsr.net
2012 at http://opinion.inquirer.net/25095/make-haste-
lay-waste
[17] Nunan, David. (2009). Second Language Teaching and
Learning. Singapore. Cengage Learning Asia Pte.Ltd.
[18] Pandian, A., Ramiah, R., (2004) Mathematics and
Science in English: Teacher Voice. UniversitiSains
Malaysia. Retrieved on September, 13, 2012 at
http://www.melta.org.my/ET/2004/2004-50.pdf
[19] Pascasio, Emy. (2005). The Filipino Bilingual from a
Sociolinguistic Perspective. Ateneo de Manila
University. Retrieved on Sept. 10, 2012 at
http://www.sil.org/asia/philippines/books/CurrentIssues
_2.7.pdf
[20] Ronda, R. (2009). RP Just Second to Malaysia in
at English Proficiency. The Philippine Star. Retrieved on
July 20, 2012 at
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleid=519986
[21] Suwilai P. (2010) the Role of MTB MLE in ECD and
Education: Experiences and Challenges in Southern
Thailand, Mahidol Univesity; Thailand. Retrieved on
January 21, 2012 at
http://www.seameo.org/LanguageMDGConference201
at 0/doc/presentations/day1/SuwalaiPremsrirat-ppt.pdf
[22] Tagalog: A Language of Philippines (2005) Retrieved
on July 16, 2012 at
http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=t
gl
[23] Vargas-Baron, E. (n.d.) Future Challenges of MTB-
MLE for ECD: Research, Evaluation, and
Collaboration. Retrieved on June 19, 2012 at
http://www.seameo.org/LanguageMDGConference201
0/doc/presentations/day1/EmilyVargasBaron-sn.pdf
Author’s Profile
at Mondez, Remilyn (Getuiza) is a faculty member of College of
Arts and Science in Malayan Colleges Laguna since 2007 where
she teaches English and Values Education courses to college
students. Prior to teaching in college, she has short but wide array
of teaching experiences in ESL, elementary, and high school. Apart
from her teaching career, she loves to read, write, travel, and
bake/cook. She served as an International Visitors’ Exchange
Program (IVEP) participant in USA in 2004 where she worked in a
K12 school in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania and a summer camp in
Divide, Colorado for one year. She was also the Philippine delegate
to the three-week 2009 Global Youth Summit in Asuncion,
at Paraguay. These international experiences ignite her sense of global
awareness to issues pertaining to language teaching, and community
development. She finished her degree in Masters in Development
Communication in October 2012 at the University of the
Philippines Open University. Dr. Benjamina Paula Flor mentored
her in the completion of this paper which served as a major
requirement for her to finish the program.
at
620